This invention relates to aircraft data delivery systems and in-flight entertainment systems and more specifically to a communications system for distributing Internet service from direct broadcast satellites (DBS) to aircraft in-flight. The aircraft satellite communications system can also be used to deliver direct broadcast satellite television programming and other data services and can be used in conjunction with current in-flight entertainment systems.
In-flight entertainment systems are known in the art. An in-flight entertainment system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,760,819 for xe2x80x9cDistribution of a Large Number of Live Television Programs to Individual Passengers in an Aircraftxe2x80x9d to Sklar et al assigned to the assignee of the present invention and is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
The Internet has become extremely popular and a need exists to add Internet service to aircraft, both business and air transport. The Internet is being sought as a necessity as well as an alternative to television.
Current stand-alone communications systems fielded in most aircraft lack the capacity or bandwidth to support true high-speed multi-user Internet browsing. These systems have been optimized for some data uses but are generally used to support low-bandwidth data and voice communications, typically ranging from 2400 bits per second to 19.2 kilobits per second.
Adding Internet service to a high-power wide-band direct broadcast satellite (DBS) system for aircraft use is therefore a desirable solution as it provides both a wireless means of connectivity to the aircraft and offers much higher bandwidth than existing low-bandwidth communications systems. The same direct broadcast satellite system can be used to simultaneously receive live television broadcasts and high-speed Internet service. Bandwidth for aircraft Internet users can come from idle capacity on high-power direct broadcast satellite transponders not fully used by video broadcasts. A typical DBS satellite may have 16 transponders, each with the capability of supporting up to 30 megabits per second. These transponders may each support several television channels. Each television channel may require 2 to 12 megabits per second. Depending on satellite transponder usage, several hundred kilobits to megabits may be available with access provided via a single television/data receiver system. Availability of this type of bandwidth is modest, fitting a limited user aviation market base well, where otherwise commercial market uses would generally out grow or require much more capacity. Some direct broadcast satellites blindly broadcast forward Internet data. Other interactive Internet and data service satellites are targeted to mass markets requiring significant satellite transponder usage, have lower EIRP (effective isotropic radiated power) signal strength and are narrowly spaced in frequency reuse and geostationary orbit, requiring relatively large antennas at the receiver, making these services a suboptimal option for aviation. Furthermore, the business case for mixing low-cost Internet browsing channels for casual use with high-cost media company digital TV channels is not strong, therefore there is currently low incentive to have both full interactive Internet channel capability and television placed on the same satellite. Additionally while relatively large antennas are acceptable in ground installations, these larger profile antennas would not be easily installed on aircraft or desired since they would adversely affect fuel efficiency.
Internet service may be in two forms. One form is broadcast or xe2x80x9cpushxe2x80x9d Internet. Broadcast Internet is similar to a television station with the programming pre-arranged and continuously delivered. A computer addresses stored and real-time Internet broadcast data similar to tuning to a television channel. Broadcast Internet can be provided over portions of a direct"" broadcast satellite television transponder channel. Full interactive Internet is the other form where a user requests or addresses an Internet site and receives or downloads the resulting data from the site for viewing. This interactive form of the Internet is most common and desirable. In addition to a direct broadcast satellite, interactive Internet requires an additional communications channel from the aircraft user to the Internet to accomplish this. A direct broadcast satellite television channel does not provide a needed back-channel air-to-ground communications link hence requiring a split communications approach.
What is needed is a direct broadcast satellite system that can provide high-speed ground-to-air Internet service to the aircraft along with DBS television programming simultaneously while using a small single antenna that can easily be mounted on the aircraft. Excess capacity on a DBS television transponder can be used to provide the modest bandwidth needs for Internet service. An additional low-speed air-to-ground communications channel is needed to enable a full interactive Internet capability.
An aircraft satellite communications system for distributing Internet service from direct broadcast satellites (DBS) is disclosed. The system is capable of simultaneously including DBS television programming and other data services as well. One or more aircraft may simultaneously use the aircraft satellite communications system. Each of the aircraft includes a direct broadcast satellite receiver system, an aircraft computer network, and radio equipment for a back-channel (air to ground) communications system. The aircraft satellite communications system may include one or more direct broadcast satellites. Each of the direct broadcast satellites receive uplinked direct broadcast satellite television programming, Internet service, and other data services on the same satellite and transmit satellite television programming, Internet service, and other data services to the direct broadcast satellite receiver system in the aircraft. A direct broadcast satellite ground station transmits uplink direct broadcast satellite television programming, Internet service, and other data services to the satellites. The direct broadcast satellite ground station further comprises a direct broadcast satellite television program source, an Internet interface, and other data services interface. A back-channel ground station for communicating with the aircraft and for receiving data communications from the aircraft over the back-channel may be included. A system interface connected to the back-channel ground station may be used for interfacing the public switched telephone network (PSTN) and the Internet.
It is an object of the present invention for an aircraft satellite communications system to provide Internet service to an aircraft from direct broadcast satellites.
It is an object of the present invention to provide full interactive Internet service as well as broadcast or push Internet.
It is an object of the present invention to provide Internet service and direct broadcast satellite television programming.
It is an advantage of the present invention to simultaneously provide Internet data and satellite television programming through a single small antenna easily mounted on an aircraft.
It is an advantage of the present invention to provide Internet service and television programming simultaneously on the same equipment.
It is a feature of the present invention to dynamically allocate channel loading to keep the available satellite bandwidth in full use.
It is a feature of the present invention to provide several other data sources such as weather data and stock market information on board an aircraft.
It is a feature of the present invention to deliver Internet and other data at high rates.